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Found this site where they go for $49 a pair and you can select the color temp...
http://www.highperformancebulbs.com/hipexed4rhid.html
Don't know if they are good or not but they are a supporting vendor on a Honda performance web site. When I need new bulbs I'll give them a call as they are $100 cheaper than elsewhere..
HID outputs almost three times lumen of a halogen bulb (1200 vs 3200) and draws 20 watts less electricity while doing it (HID 35w vs Halogen 55w for low beam). The HID outputs the most lumens at 4000-4300 degrees K. Halogen outputs at about 3200 K.
So, depending on your eyes you might want to go with a more yellow light because it scatters better than higher temps (higher frequency) lights (more blue coloured). For us old guys our night vision decreases and we might be able to see a more yellow light as being brighter)
Anyway, this has been a very interesting discussion and I've learned a lot from doing some web searches as well as from input from you guys...
I'm going to replace the HID as soon as they start flickering with some 3500k (yellowish). But I'm going to replace the H11 fog lamps with some 3000k HIDs I found which I hope will give me the best of both worlds.
Overall, the Avalon is the best car I've ever owned..... Great Car!
At any rate I've found multiple sources for replacement bulbs. I ended up ordering via amazon.com from a supplier called Halo Automotive. Two D4R bulbs for $95 including shipping. That was way less than plasmagarage.com at $229. Google and you might find even cheaper prices but I got the free 2nd day shipping on amazon.
I also found out that my local body shop will replace the bulbs for about $150, so my total will be about $250 for both headlights. Installation does not sound easy--he says it involves dropping the bumper--so for me it was derinitely not a DIY project.
HTH
Take an electronic camera and and watch an IR remote as it is used, the camera "sees" the remote's IR led, and everything it illuminates, even though your eyes cannot.
4300K...gospel.
If this is truly the level of technology (?) that car buyers are accepting as "the latest thing", we had all better start diverting a lot of extra cash into an account called "fix the bleeping car...again".
push down each ear to unhook the clip. It swings down and the bulb is easily pulled out. The driver's side will be more difficult. You will have to remove the battery and possibly remove the bolts to the fuse box to gain a little room to work in. I wouldn't think it would take more than 45 minutes or so to change. A mirror with an extention handle will make the job a lot easier. Just installed tonight will let you know if it solves the problem.
Just to clarify, what year and model Avalon are you referring to? I'm somewhat confused. The headlights I'm referring to are for the '08 Limited, which has the self leveling HID headlights, and use the rather rare D4R HID bulbs. They are the same ones involved in the Prius headlight problem.
The Ebay site you mentioned appears to see a different bulb (a D2R?) for "07 and earlier Avvy's. Didn't see a D4R for '08 and newer models. I'm mostly curious since the description I've gotten on how to replace the bulbs in the "08 self leveling system appears much more complex than what you're describing, but maybe that's my service guy blowing smoke up my #$%.
I just did had the same thing done yesterday. '08 Limited with the autoleveling HID headlights. I paid $100 on Amazon for the bulbs and had them installed at a body shop where I know the owner personally so hopefully I didn't get ripped off. He charged $115, and yes indeed, he said you do have to drop the bumper to change the bulbs. So, your $250 is in the ballpark. Unbelievable that they design it this way. Still better than the $800!!! the local Toyota dealer tried to rip me off for. I have been disappointed by Toyota and their supposed reputation for reliability and great service.
Are you scared to drive the Avvy? I just keep my hand on the shifter ready to hit Neutral.
You can remove the bumper to remove the headlight assembly to access the HID bulb but why bother if you can just move the battery. You may or may not have trouble with the circuit box but if you don't like trouble then have someone else do it.
As for the recall.....
There were and average of 132 acceleration problems per year for all of Toyota. That's 132 out of at least 10 million vehicle.... maybe more. It's more likely that you'll be murdered.(1 in 18000) than have an accelerator stick (1 in 75000). That said, if your pedal is giving you ANY trouble then DON'T DRIVE IT. If your car has a lot of miles maybe you want to get it checked out sooner than if you only have 35,000 like I do.
Thanks in advance for any assistance.
The other post about fuel filters: I believe they change every 45,000 miles.
Thanks.
The above link appear to still be active - Good Luck
All you do is turn the engine off with the total car mileage showing (not Trip A or . Then..Hold in the the mileage button as you move the key or the start button to ON. Hold the mileage button in for 5 seconds and the light should blink and go out.... you will also see the mileage show 000000..briefly...
Good luck...it's not hard once you know the secret......
http://www.toyotacertified.com/request.html#
All the older "original" brochures can be downloaded from there.
Dave
:mad: The dealership does not want to take any action until the tires actually fail. My warranty on the tires is still in full effect; but the wording is unclear on what to do in this situation. I don't want to run the car on tires that could blow out at any time. These are original Michelin tires.
Any suggestions, or other similar experiences?
My 16 year old daughter is learning to drive now. I don't want her driving an unsafe car. How do I convince the dealership to replace the tires????!!!!
Dave
I would have had to have the dealer take off the tire (yes I had them replace it), they would have had to put on the bad one, I would have had to take it to the place (35+ miles away, and after all of that, it would have cost me $150.00 + (I paid $215.0 at the Toyota dealership) - and a ton of wasted time.
If you can believe this, the Tire Company (Headquarters that I called), suggested that when I purchase a new car again, I consider getting it WITHOUT tires, and that I purchase tires NEW from an authorized dealer, and that way I'd get a much better warranty! Now how's that for weird?
Skip
PS If it wasn't for the fact that Toyotas will likely have a VERY poor trade-in value at most places, I'd likely be looking at other makes / models of cars for my next one.
I'm kind of hoping Toyota dealers give GREAT trade-in values towards a new Toyota (I think I hoping:)).
I'm thinking, this might be an issue for several years to come? What do you folks think?
I learned all this NOT from the Toyota dealership who claimed to do a full inspection on the car (nor told me how long the car had sat), but from a Firestone dealership where I stopped to get an early oil change. (at 1,800 miles - just to make sure there were not any metal fragments in the oil).
I went back to a different Toyota dealer, SPOKE WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER, and after some arm twisting, he agreed to make an "accommodation" for me because I was "such a good customer". I had never been to that dealership before.
Lesson: PUSH for what is right. The 11 months of my Avalon sitting in a TOYOTA holding lot was their problem, not mine, and NOT the tire manufacturers fault.
I have since learned that Toyota Service Managers have a lot of discretion on making "accommodations" to customers - even more so in the past month.
Dave
BTW...2008 Limited.
Did you actually get the tires replaced? At the Firestone dealer or at Toyota dealer, and was there any charge for tire replacement if it actually happened?
A tire dealer recommending tire replacement on a new car with only 1800 miles would certainly raise a lot of questions from me.
I had the low beam bulbs replaced at my local dealer (Under warranty) and it didn't take but 3 minutes per side.
Skip
I took my '08 touring in because the battery wouldn't hold a charge and they said there is nothing wrong with the battery or the charging system.
Fast forward to last week and the battery was dead AGAIN! So I took it in this time for a battery drain problem. They checked it out and said the headlights/parking lights weren't programmed to turn off right and killing the battery. OK.
So I let the car sit for a week and the batter still died. SO.. I started poking around myself and was going to hook up an ammeter to the battery and start pulling fuses until I found where the problem was. BUT, before I did I opened the hatch between the seats and sure enough the light in the trunk was stuck on. Now I'm taking it back to the dealer and telling him to fix the trunk switch. Hope that fixes it for sure...
Ain't cars wonderful.... oh, I just got my recall notice this week too so I'm going to talk to them about scheduling a recall appointment too even though I'm not convinced the pedal is the problem.
2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve
Well, I called my dealer and lo and behold, they will do BOTH recalls without the letter. Then, to my surprise, like stoneybrook, i was informed of a THIRD recall which has been totally unpublicized to my knowledge. It involves a problem with an oil hose, though they did not tell me more than that. The three recalls will be an all day affair as they said the engine must be completely cooled off before they can remove the oil line.
On the bright side, I figure if my car starts to accelerate out of control, the oil line will rupture and the engine will die, saving my life :-)
If you read the floor mat recall it indicates that under the right conditions all they do is inspect your mat and if it's a Toyota mat and properly installed they only have to up grade the computer so the car slows down if you touch the brake and accelerator at the same time at high speed.